Cushioning device for draft-equalizers.



v No. 7815.046. PATENTED MAR. 14, 1.905. S.PATLZER. I GUSHIONING DEVICE FOR DRAFT BQUALIZERS.

APPLIGATION FILED 00T. 6. 1904.

NiTED STATES Patented March 14, 1905.

PATENT OEEICE.

CUSHIONING DEVICE FOR DRAFT-EQUALIZESRS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No.d'785,046, dated March 14, 1905.

Application filed October 6; 1904. Serial No. 227,351.

To a/ZZ whom, t may concern: y

Be it known that I, STEVEN PATLZER, a citizen of the United States, residing at Hamel, in the county of Hennepin and State of Minnesota, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Oushioning Devices for Draft-Equalizers; and I do hereby declare the 'following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention relates to draft-equalizers, and has for its object to provide an improved cushioning device therefor.

To the above ends the invention consists of the novel devices and combinations of devices hereinafter' described, and deiined in the claims.

lthe pivotbolt 5.

The invention is illustrated in the accompanying drawings, wherein like characters indicate like parts throughout both views.

Figure 1 is a plan View, with some parts broken away, showing an ordinary wagonpole, a doubletree or two-horse evener, and my improved cushioning device applied thereto; and Fig. 2 is a detail in side elevation, with some parts broken away,illustrating the means by which the cushioning device is detachably connected to the beam of the doubletree.

rIhe numeral 1 indicates the wagon-pole, which at its rear end is forked at 2 in the usual way.

The numeral 3 indicates the equalizingbeam, and the numeral I the swingletrees, of a two-horse evener, which is detachably pivoted to the pole in the usual way by a bolt 5 and hasp 6.

The numeral 7 indicates a rod which is bent on the arc of a circle struck from the axis of The intermediate portion of this arched rod 7 passes loosely through a thrust-bearing 8, which is rigidly secured on the pole at the rear of the evener. At its ends the arch-rod 7 is secured, as shown, by nuts 9, to bifurcated spring-heads I0, the prongs of which are perforated to receive trunnions ll ot' coupling-heads 12. These coupling-heads l2 have threaded stems 13, that Vare passed through the ends of the equalizerbeam 3 and are rigidly secured thereto by nuts 14 or other suitable devices. The prongs of the heads 10 are drawn together and held coupled to the trunnions 11 of said heads l2 by short nutted bolts 15. Ooiled springs 16, placed around the bolts 15 and compressed between the prongs of said heads l0, act when the nuts of said bolts are loosened to spring the said prongs apart and release them from the said trunnions. This construction pro-l vides means for very quickly connecting and disconnecting the cushioning device to and from the evener. Such construction 1s important, because it may often be desired to remove the evener for use on some other vehicle or machine than that to which the cushioning device is applied.

On the arch-rod 7 on opposite sides of the thrust-bearing 8 is a pair of coiled springs 17, and between the outer ends of these springs and the heads 10 are placed loose sleeves 18. The cushioning-springs 17 react against the thrust-bearing 8 and against the ends of the sleeves 18 and tend to maintain the beain 3 of the evener in its intermediate position at a right angle to the pole. They will, however, yield to permit the equalizing action of the beam 3, but serve as cushions to prevent the one horse byv jumping suddenly ahead of the other from throwing the swingletree on the other side back against the wheels or, more generally stated, will prevent the paits of the evener from being suddenly thrown into extreme position away from their normal positions. The said cushioning device not only prevents breaking of the parts, but relieves the horses from sudden strains due to the sudden jumping ahead of one of the horses or to sudden lateral thrusts of the pole due to running of one of the wheels into a rut or against an obstruction.

The device while efficient for the purposes had inview is of small cost and may be quickly and easily applied to any pole and to any twohorse evener or other draft-equalizing device employing an equalizing-beam.

' `What1 claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent of the United States, is as follows:

1. The combination with a pole and a draftequalizer having its beam pivoted to said pole, of an arch-rod extending on a curve struck IOO cated heads 10, perforated to receive the trunnions of said heads lf2; nutted bolts 15 passed through the prongs of said heads, to hold them in engagement with said trunnions 11, springs 16 on said bolts 15 compressed between the prongs of said heads, for spreading them when .said bolts are loosened, a thrust-bearing' 8 on said pole through which the intermediate portionof said arch-rod 7 works, and springs 17 on said arch-rod, on the opposite sides of said bearing 8, reacting against said bearing and against said arch `rod, substantially as described. y

In testimony whereofl I alix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

STEVEN PATLZER. WVitnesses H. D. KILGoRn, F. D. MERCHANT. 

